Dark Dreamer

I thoroughly enjoyed the character development of this novel. A number of readers often express concern when an author separates women into sterotypes. In theory, I have the same problem, so it surprised me when I knew the sterotypes were there and they didn't bother me. Phoebe is so delicate on so many levels, from beginning to end, but the author doesn't try to hide that fact, or force the character out of her comfort zone. Instead, she allows us to witness Phoebe's personal growth as multiple mysteries develop and unfold. The result is a very believeable character, one who has a gift and is in a position to help so many people, drawing strength not from her own ego, but from those who love her. Conversely, Cara initially appears to be the more attractive target as she is the one who kepts everything under control. But we eventually see that, despite her mental strength, Cara is not immune to her own set of vulnerabilities. In the end -- and I must commend the author for her choices in when and how to bring this all to a close -- the reader is left with feelings of warmth and compassion that are not easily forgotten.

Rowe Devlin is a best selling horror novelist and attractive butch who has hit a rough patch in her life. She`s recently moved from the Manhattan scene to make a break from a fruitless relationship in the hope that she will be able to meet her next deadline. The move is not going well. Or, as she claims, she is "a washed up writer living in a haunted house in Maine in the middle of winter. She now had exchanged a hopeless passion for someone's wife for a doomed crush on her neighbors. Plural. And instead of finishing the piece of crap novel her agent was hounding her for, she was on some wild ghost chase with two young males who thought the government was spying on them." (68). Needless to say, this is not a high point in her career. The neighbors in question, Phoebe and Cara Temple are identical twins and unusual women in their own right. Orphaned at age seven and reared by their grandmother, the Temple twins have a highly symbiotic relationship. Cara is the grounded, no-nonsense woman who works in the music industry. Phoebe is a more ethereal of the sisters. A few years ago Phoebe was in a car accident that left her in a coma. After she woke, she began having compelling dreams of women who had met with violent deaths. These women talked to Phoebe, asked her to send their love to their parents or spouses, and told her where to find their bodies. Recently Phoebe has begun using these communications to assist the FBI in tracking down serial killers. Meanwhile Rowe's dogs will not enter her kitchen and the knives have a nasty habit of refusing to stay in their drawers. The writer begins to research former inhabitants of the house and in the process finds a tragic story with a possible connection with the Temple sisters. This revelation prompts more interactions with her neighbors and an offer to help with the ghost from Phoebe. When the attraction between Phoebe and Rowe heats up, Cara becomes jealous, angry and conflicted. She'd been interested in Rowe herself and dreads what she sees as Phoebe's inevitable disenchantment with Rowe. -- Phoebe has a history of falling in love and failing to end relationships when she was ready to leave. More than once, Phoebe has convinced Cara to impersonate Phoebe for the needed break up. -- Venting about the relationship with Rowe, Cara decides "she'd been Phoebe's minder and interface with the world for twenty years. Twenty years! Enough was enough. She wanted a life of her own. Let Phoebe find out the hard way that the world was not her oyster just because she was sweet and sensitive and beautiful. In fact, the world chewed up women like her and spat them out. And let Rowe find out that Phoebe didn't just have issues, she had a subscription." (133) However, other elements of Homeland Security discover that Phoebe's gift is "the real deal" and the plot takes an ominous turn. Fast-paced with an engaging and suspenseful mix of spooky -- the supernatural and the political variety -- happenings, Dark Dream

When Rowe Devlin buys Dark Harbor Cottage she hopes to accomplish two things: escape a love she could never have back in Manhattan and find the ideal place to dig herself out of a writing slump. She soon finds that, although the former is fairly easy, the latter does not happen as effortlessly as she had hoped. An already faltering career as a best selling horror novel writer is fast deteriorating and Rowe can't seem to find her way out of her dilemma. To add to her difficulties, Dark Harbor Cottage is repudiated to have a resident ghost. Although Rowe doesn't believe in such things, in spite of her genre, events do not allow her to dismiss the idea of ghostly habitation of her new home. To complicate her life just a little more, she is befriended by her new neighbor, Phoebe Temple, and finds herself immediately and strongly attracted to her. But Phoebe is more than she appears to be. She is visited by the specter of dead people who want some issue resolved so that they can rest in peace-and she uses her gift to help the FBI to solve cases. One more thing Rowe Devlin has to learn about Phoebe is that the beautiful, enigmatic woman has an identical twin named Cara. Once Rowe finds that out, she doesn't know what to make of her attraction-to them both. As if struggling to figure out which beauty Rowe would really like to be with wasn't enough of a complication in her life, things get more convoluted when the psychic occurrences increase at Dark Harbor Cottage. A young woman has been seen dancing in the ballroom of the cottage, a fairly benign visitation. But when knives start moving threateningly in the kitchen, accompanied by cupboard doors slamming, Rowe almost loses her own life fleeing from the ghostly presence. When Phoebe flees a ghastly vision in Rowe's kitchen, Rowe is forced to admit that there may just be such things as ghosts. Determined to get to the bottom of the history of the house and its earlier inhabitants, Rowe makes inquiries at the local historical society and finds an unexpected link between the beautiful Temple twins and the Bakers, the inhabitants of Dark Harbor Cottage in the early 1900s. As the tale unfolds, questions beg answering: Who is Verity Adams? Why does she have a child 14 months after the death of her husband? What does Phoebe Temple really do for a living? Which Temple twin will win Rowe Devlin's heart? Why is there an ominous presence in Rowe Devlin's kitchen so menacing that her dogs won't venture over the threshold? To add to the air of mystery swirling all around Rowe, she witnesses Phoebe being escorted from her home by government officials one night-and the two women have no idea if they will ever see one another again. However, even at a distance, the two women begin to piece the story together of what has happened at the cottage. Soon the paranormal experiences start to make sense as the discovery of what happened at Dark Harbor Cottage is revealed from both sides of the netherworld

You can see from my reviews that I don't rave about every book. But this one is worth raving about. I was hooked from the first sentence and captivated all the way through. As usual, this author has written a highly original book full of memorable characters. Rowe has plenty of commonsense except when it comes to women. Cara is hot and trendy and sleeps around. Phoebe is seductive and dreamy and her story alone is compelling reading. There are also some amazingly good secondary characters. The plot is fast paced and engrossing and the writing is vintage Fulton - sharp, funny and classy. I was a nervous wreck in the scenes when Rowe is in danger from the ghost in her house. As far as the romance goes, the tension had me sweating, and the sex is spicier than in the Moon Island series - no complaints here! The bath scene was one of the most teasing and erotic scenes I've ever read, and at the same time it was very emotional and real. Also the ending was nothing short of brilliant, and the complicated bond between the twins is written with true perception. Dark Dreamer is a romance wrapped within a thriller built around a mystery from the past and a threat in the present. The author pulls off the demanding plot without skipping a beat or losing the reader, demonstrating why she is one of the best. This is the first book in Ms. Fulton's new 'Heartstoppers' series and it's obviously meant to be a different kind of book from her ultra-romantic Moon Island stories. I thought it was stunning and I can't wait for the next one.

This is a hard book to review because there's much more to it than meets the eye. Dark Dreamer is a real page turner that successfully mixes romance, paranormal mystery, and thriller. Rowe Devlin, a horror author, moves in next door to two identical twins, Phoebe and Cara Temple. Phoebe is looking for love but seems too dependent on her twin to make room for it. She also possesses telepathic abilities that have two government agencies competing to control her. Cara is trapped between protectiveness and love of her sister, and a desire to lead her own life. They both flirt with Rowe, who has a bad habit of falling for women who don't want her. She's a down to earth person who doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's sharing her new house with one that wants her to leave. To discover why the ghost is lingering, she must solve a mystery from the past. What sets this book apart is not only the excellent writing and great characters, but also the fascinating and believable portrait of the twins. The complexity and intensity of their bond is shown with great subtlety and skill. Another thing I loved was the erotic side of the story. I've read most of this author's romances and it's obvious that she's so good she can write at any temperature she wants. She turns up the heat in this book! Dark Dreamer is easily one of the best books I've read this year.